Better than the Dream
by Marietta1995
Summary: One-shot- Hinata had trouble escaping the dream created from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, prompting a certain spikey-haired ninja to wake her up, one way or another.


**I don't own Naruto, simple as that...**

* * *

Hinata knew the moment she woke up on the bench that none of it was real.

Moments ago, she'd been fighting in a war, desperately trying to save her and her comrades from the cold grip of death. She'd watched her cousin fall already in the brutal battle. Hinata refused to lose anyone else. Not her family, not her friends, and definitely not Naruto. But then, as she collapsed from exhaustion, everything changed.

And then she was here.

Hinata stared straight ahead at the forest in front of her. It was a forest she remembered from back at the Konoha. She'd always admired the peaceful tranquility it held, its ability to make you lose yourself in your thoughts. Even now, it was lulling her into a transfixed stupor. It became harder for the Hyūga to articulate her thoughts.

What had happened?

"A wrap…" She murmured, closing her eyes in an attempt to concentrate. "Something was wrapping around me."

"What?"

Hinata jumped at the close proximity of the familiar voice, eyes snapping open in confusion.

_No, it couldn't be…_

Hinata turned her head to the left, causing her heart to splutter indignantly.

Naruto was seated beside her on the bench.

"Naruto-kun?" She breathed, eyes wide.

The young man beamed.

He looked the same as always, his spiky blond hair, deep azure eyes. Her heart fluttered just looking at him.

But still, something was off.

"Hinata?" He teased, grin instantly turning mischievous.

Hinata's face flushed.

"W-what's going on?" She stammered, utterly confused. "We were in a war. We were fighting…"

Naruto bumped shoulders with her, blue eyes filled with confusion.

"Eh?" He frowned. "What war? The Konoha has been peaceful for years."

Hinata stared incredulously at her crush, a knot of dread crushing against her lungs.

"No." She mumbled carefully, scooting away from the blond in apprehension. "It hasn't."

_Could it be a genjutsu?_

Hinata brought her hands together, attempting to dispel the scene. But, it didn't even waver.

Naruto smiled, lightly pulling her against him in a hug.

Instantly, she activated her byakugan trying to find a single discrepancy in this fake world. But, everything was the same as she remember, everything was so… familiar.

She didn't understand why this dream felt so real.

"Everything's fine, Hinata." Naruto murmured against her hair, eliciting a shiver from the Hyūga. "Everything is how it should be."

Hinata raised her head to protest, but found herself gazing into his azure eyes once more.

They were so blue… so peaceful… The kunoichi could feel herself slipping away as she lost herself in his beautiful eyes.

"Dream…" She whispered almost drunkenly, leaning her head against the ninja's shoulder. "It has to be a dream…"

Naruto's chuckled reverberated through her tiny frame.

"Whatever you say Hinata." He replied jokingly, blush tickling her face as he reached towards one of her hands, lacing his fingers with hers like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And Hinata found her consciousness fading, her dream-self staring ahead peacefully, thinking only of the man she loved.

….

Naruto took deep breaths, staring around the battlefield with wide eyes. They'd done it. _He _did it. That Zetsu-guy was dead while Kaguya had returned to wherever the hell she came, leaving them be.

He wanted to jump, to yell to the skies in glee. It was over. The mess was _finally_ over! And he did just that for a moment before falling silent as he looked over at his comrades.

Kakashi was slumped on the ground, being healed by an exhausted Sakura. Sasuke hovered near her, looking up at the clear blue sky in almost a child-like wonder.

All had a look of similar triumph on their face.

They'd won.

Naruto started shouting again, trying to stave off the silence around him almost in a panic. He hated the lack of noise. It was so final, so deafening.

Like he and his teammates were the only ones left in this world.

But then, a loud 'whoop' tore through the air, shattering his fears entirely.

Naruto spun around, only to see Choji in the distance, breaking out of his cocoon. The blonde raced to the ninja, joining in his cheers with shouts of his own, laughing in jubilation as others broke free from their cocoons as well.

One by one, ninjas erupted from their confinements, shouting in happiness as the others screamed. "It's all over! We won!"

And as more and more shouts filled the air, Naruto smiled towards the blue sky, tears welling up in his eyes.

"We did it!" He shouted, laughing as the others surrounded him. "We did it!"

….

When Hinata resurfaced again, her hazy mind spotted a few interesting details in the dream land.

"Neji's here." She spoke softly, eyebrows drawn in confusion, spotting the ninja and her little sister spying on her and Naruto with her byakugan.

Naruto squeezed Hinata's hand playfully.

"Want me to kick his-"

Hinata shook her head, inadvertently rubbing her head against his shoulder. Naruto's laughs filled her ears.

"You're so adorable." He quipped, looking down at her with his sparkling eyes.

Hinata began to lose herself again.

"But…" She whispered, struggling to articulate a single thought. "Neji… He's dead."

Naruto blinked, staring at her incredulously for a moment before bursting into laughter like she'd just told the funniest joke in the worlds. She joined in automatically, unsure to why this was so funny. But, his laugh was so infectious, Hinata couldn't help herself. She didn't know what was going on or what was so funny about the morbid statement. But she did know one thing. Naruto's laugh was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard.

"I'm glad I met you, Hinata-chan." He murmured when he finally calmed down, bringing her hand softly to his lips.

_Chan?_

And the Hyūga's consciousness submerged once more, falling back into the daze of her dream.

…

Naruto woke in a canvas tent, smiling so widely, he thought his face would break.

He'd collapsed not long after everyone began to emerge from their cocoons, getting some much needed rest.

The orange ninja vaulted from the bed, still feeling sore before glancing down at his ratty uniform. The cuts and bruises that peppered his body before were gone, but the evidence still remained on his trademark orange and black uniform.

He'd been to hell and back, but he'd survived in the end.

The thought made him grin even wider.

The hyperactive ninja left his little tent, only to be met by a tumultuous applause. It reminded him of the group that met him after he'd defeated Pain. Only this time, it was far larger. Naruto quickly found himself being lifted from the ground in celebration and paraded him around the camp that'd formed in the time he'd been asleep. They only let him down when Sakura's voice demanded that they give it a break already.

And as he spotted her, standing next to Sasuke, Naruto couldn't help but launch himself at the pair of them. Sakura lightly complained that he was crushing her while Sasuke merely jabbed him sharply in the ribs with a familiar "hn". Naruto backed away with a laugh, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I'm just really happy to see you guys."

Sakura smiled kindly while Sasuke smirked. Silently, Naruto wondered if the teme was even capable of a real smile. And while he pondered over this, a slight movement caught his eye. Shino, Kiba and Akamaru were approaching them from the side faces grim. Naruto noted immediately that their gazes were focused on Sakura in almost a pleading manner.

Sakura seemed to notice this as well as her face immediately fell, shaking her heads at the boys.

Naruto watched in silence as they turned away, settling themselves next to the large medical tent, downcast.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked curiously.

Sakura sighed.

"They're worried about Hinata." She murmured, glancing wearily at the blue sky.

Naruto's smile was immediately wiped from his face.

"What wrong with Hinata?" He asked, feeling his insides freeze. His eyes scanned the immediate area. He could see all of his friends from the academy, all with their respective families. But when he came to the solemn-looking Hyūgas, Naruto frowned.

She wasn't there.

Sakura sighed.

"Not everyone came out of those wrappings, Naruto."

Blue eyes immediately clashed with green and before he knew it, Naruto was making his way to the medical tent. He pushed the tent flaps to the side, hastily vaulting in.

Only to come to a screeching halt at the sight before him…

Cocoon after cocoon lined the floor.

Hundreds of people had yet to wake.

"W-what's going on?" He stuttered, looking back at his pink-haired teammate who followed him in.

Sakura stared at the cocoons, sadness permeating her brilliant green eyes.

"In order to exit the dream-state, the cocoon," she whispered, "they have to want to return themselves."

Naruto glanced back at the cocoons nervously.

"Then why aren't they out yet?" He exclaimed, panic infused with his tone.

Sakura stared at him almost pityingly.

"Because they probably don't want to leave."

Naruto stared back at the kunoichi in shock.

_Dream world… they don't want to leave the dream world?_

"But it's only a lie." He whispered.

Sakura stared him in the face.

"Sometimes a lie is better than the truth." She told him gravely.

Naruto turned away.

_Hinata… Hinata hadn't returned yet. Did that mean she didn't want to? But, that didn't make sense. What about her friends. What about…_

Naruto's eyes hardened. She couldn't stay there.

The nine tail's chakra flooded his system, allowing him to identify the chakra signature of each cocoon. His eyes roved from one color to the next until he caught the sight of a lavender flicker in the back corner.

Hinata.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura asked carefully as he ran to Hinata's cocoon.

But, Naruto ignored her, kneeling next to the rough mass. He stayed there listening for any sign of movement. But silence hung in the air, making Naruto's gut twist painfully.

He couldn't even tell if she was breathing.

The thought spurred the ninja into action.

Naruto raked his hands against the wood, desperately trying to pull apart the cocoon by force. But, the mass didn't budge.

Naruto grit his teeth in anger, punching the outer layer with as much force as he could manage.

"Hinata…" he ground out between punches, "get… out… of… there…"

The cocoon wasn't even dented.

The spiky-haired ninja considered using his rasengan for a moment. But, even if it did work, he didn't want to run the risk of injuring the Hyūga.

With one last punch, Naruto cursed lightly, hanging his head in defeat.

How could he help her?

He glanced at Sakura who was still standing at the front of the tent. It was clear that his efforts were futile, but the ninja refused to give up.

_Maybe I can- Oh…_

Naruto's eyes widened.

He knew what to do.

Naruto scrambled into a meditating position, placing his right hand against the cocoon.

"Focus…" He mumbled shutting his eyes as he summoned chakra into the hand. "Focus."

And, before the blond knew what was happening, he was swept away, falling into darkness.

….

Hinata knew the moment her head fell to the side, something was wrong.

Everyone was gone.

She was still in the forest, sitting on the bench, but Naruto, Neji, and Hanabi were nowhere to be seen. In fact, everything seemed… emptier all of the sudden. The cerulean sky dimmed as the distant singing of the birds disappeared.

Hinata drew her legs to her chest, curling into a ball. Everything felt so cold, so lonely. But why was she here? Wasn't there something going on? Something important…

The Hyūga buried her head into her knees, trying not to shake.

She didn't know anymore.

"Eh?! This is your dream?!" An indignant voice crowed out incredulously.

Hinata lifted her head slightly, seeing a newly returned Naruto looking around curiously.

Dream...

This was a dream…

"This looks pretty lonely, ya know."

Hinata's eyes widened as she remembered, consciousness fully returning. The dream-Naruto, he made her forget, forget why she had to leave in the first place.

She had a war to fight.

The Hyūga looked up at the boy almost fearfully. She wouldn't let this dream-Naruto distract her. She had to help the real Naruto.

"Go away…" She said shakily, drawing her arms tighter around herself.

Naruto stared at the Hyūga in shock.

"But…" He breathed, face morphing into a cute pout Hinata loved.

"Get out!" She screamed hysterically, causing him to recoil in shock.

She couldn't fall for it all again. She had to get out of here to help. She didn't want to let anyone else die.

But, Naruto didn't move an inch.

"Hinata." He said carefully, so seriously that something in Hinata broke.

Her face crumpled, tears spilling down her ivory cheeks.

"Please," she whispered. "I just want to go back."

Naruto sat next to the crying girl lightly poking her in the side.

"I'm real." He tried with a forced laugh, raising his hands in defense.

The Hyūga shook her head.

"No." She said thickly. "You aren't. You're just here to make me forget again."

Naruto's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Again?" He questioned softly. "What do you mean 'again'?"

Hinata released her arms, scooting to the edge of the bench warily.

"You made me forget everything." She muttered, face coloring in shame. "You made me forget why I needed to leave."

Hinata watched as Naruto perked up immediately.

"Why do you need to leave?" He asked in turn, blue eyes eager.

"Because there's a war." She replied defensively, brushing the excess tears from her face. "Everyone is out there fighting and I need to help."

Naruto jumped up, pride shining in his eyes.

"Then go."

Hinata stared at the boy she loved in shock.

Wasn't the dream world supposed to keep her from leaving like it did last time?

"I-I can't." She stuttered, standing up as well. "I've already tried."

That didn't deter the blond as he walked up to her, determination written all over his face as he grabbed her shoulders, making Hinata look him in the face.

"Do you want to leave?" He asked simply.

Hinata nodded nervously.

"Then try again." He insisted. "You said that you'd stand with me, right?"

Hinata stood there for a moment after the blond released his hold on her as the memory nagged at the back of her mind.

_That's right..._

"I'll never go back on my word." She whispered.

Naruto beamed, taking a step back as she raised her arms once more to dispel the genjutsu.

"Because that's our ninja way." Naruto responded fondly, getting a smile from Hinata as the world around them finally shattered to pieces.

Everything fell to darkness.

…..

The first thing Hinata was aware of was the loud voice permeating the silence around her. The Hyūga frowned for a moment as she realized something…

Silence?

She wrenched her eyes open, realizing that she was still encased in the wraps. Her arms struck out in panic.

The wood fell away effortlessly as light spilled into the casing.

There were more voices then. And before she knew it, hands we grabbing at hers, tugging her out of her encasement with an almighty tug. And she was free.

The kunoichi stared down at the hands still holding hers, feeling a pang as she remembered how Naruto held her hand in the dream. They were so warm, so comforting...

The thought caused her to jump, as she realized the hands were the same. Her eyes traced his arms, raking across his form until she met his eyes, eyes that were far bluer than in her dream.

"Naruto-kun…" She whispered, shocked at the boy kneeling in front of her. Weren't they in the middle of a war? "What's going on? What happened to-"

Naruto cut Hinata off, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I knew you could do it!" He shouted, laughing happily as she tried to calm her racing heart.

Hinata smiled at the beautiful sound, carefully wrapping her arms around his torso. And they stayed that way for a minute, until Hinata remembered what the dream-Naruto had told her at one point.

"You're so adorable." Hinata whispered, blushing as she realized that she'd said it out loud.

But, as she peeked up at the ninja, Hinata couldn't help but giggle at deep blush that crept across his cheeks.

"You too." He murmured, burying his face into her hair, chuckles reverberating through their weary frames.

_Yes,_ Hinata thought, heart thudding uncontrollably as she tightened her grip on Naruto,_ definitely better than the dream…_


End file.
